Celebrity Big Brother star Rylan Clark has been regularly leaving the house for X Factor tour rehearsals, according to former contestant Gillian Taylforth.

The ex-EastEnders actress, who was voted out of the show on Friday (January 18), made the revelation during an appearance on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff today (January 21), seemingly unaware that Clark's exits go against a major principle of the show - that contestants live in complete isolation.

Speaking on the program about how housemates were not allowed to know the time, Taylforth said: "Rylan went out to do X Factor rehearsals... obviously he wasn't allowed to talk about it, but when he came back he'd just ask somebody the time very quickly like [his] driver, and we said to him when he'd get in, 'What's the time?'"

Meanwhile, Wright Stuff 'Mic Man' Eric Johnson claimed that Taylforth had confirmed the details to him about Rylan's secret exits.

"Recently evicted housemate just told me Rylan has been leaving the CBB house for XFactor tour rehearsals EVERY SUNDAY. Ooops!" he wrote on Twitter.

In the past, housemates who have broken out of the Big Brother compound and into the 'outside world' have not been permitted to return.

On rare occasions where contestants have been escorted out of the house, steps have been taken by the Big Brother production team to prevent them from being exposed to people and press coverage in the outside world.

Clark is the current favorite to win this series of Celebrity Big Brother, which comes to an end on Friday (January 25).

The X Factor tour begins the following evening at Manchester Arena.

Updated:Channel 5 has since confirmed Taylforth's remarks, releasing the following statement: "Rylan has rehearsed for his tour on site with a choreographer, escorted by a Big Brother producer."